About Me

Steven M. Hoefflin, M.D., F.I.C.S., F.A.C.S. graduated
first in his class at UCLA Medical School in 1972. He continued his
education in general surgery and completed a full plastic surgical
residency training program at the UCLA Medical Center, where he
received the Surgical Medal Award.

Dr. Hoefflin is an
international authority in aesthetic surgery. He is frequently
published in books and medical journals. He is board-certified
by the
American Board of Plastic Surgery and is a Fellow of the
American College of Surgeons (F.A.C.S.). Dr. Hoefflin was Assistant
Clinical Professor (1979-1989) and Associate Clinical Professor
(1989-2003) in the Division of Plastic Surgery at
UCLA Medical
Center. He received the Teacher of the Year Award,
(1985-1986), and Best Clinical Faculty Teacher (2002-2003). He was
Chief of Plastic Surgery at UCLA-Santa Monica Hospital Medical
Center, (1982-1989) and Chief of Plastic Surgery at Brotman Medical
Center, (1980-1985). He is a visiting professor for the
International School of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

Dr. Hoefflin is the
Immediate Past President of the Los Angeles Plastic Surgery Society.
Dr. Hoefflin is a member of numerous professional organizations
including the American Society for Plastic Surgeons,
American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Lipoplasty
Society, Bay Surgical Society, Plastic Surgery Educational
Foundation, The Rhinoplasty Society, The Royal Society of Medicine,
and is a Fellow of The International College of Surgeons.

A Historical Evaluation of Facial Beauty

Historically, previous attempts at
evaluating attractive biological standards have created good tools, but not
good definitions. According to the Pythagoreans of ancient Greece, “everything
is arranged according to the numbers”. It was hypothesized that mathematics was
the unifying force between life, art, the gods and the universe, a premise this
book continues to uphold.

Leonardo
Fibonacci, the 13th-century Italian mathematician, discovered what
he called the “Golden Ratio”, which has had a great influence on aesthetics
because it provides a rational basis for analysis—though not a definition of
facial beauty. The sequence of numbers is created from the two preceding
numbers, and the ratio is reached by dividing each number in the sequence by
the amount of numbers that precede it. The ratios converge on the number known
as Phi (1.618…), named after the Greek sculptor, Phidias. Illustrated examples
show how the Golden Ratio can be applied in measuring the human face.

Regardless
of age, every beautiful face has a certain proportion and harmony between its
segments. Using this data, an artist or plastic surgeon can now create true
facial beauty.